No More Plastics in the Ocean – Publication

Marine plastic pollution is a fast-growing problem – it is not yet possible to estimate how severe the impacts currently are. Between 4.8 and 12.7 Mt of plastic ends up in the ocean each year, adding to the plastic waste already floating around the world's seas. Despite many laudable initiatives and action plans, the world is on the verge of losing the battle against plastic contamination. There is an urgent need to address the plastic pollution crisis of the oceans on a global level – this report by adelphi and Ecologic Institute shows how to do so, and is available for download.

This report provides a quantitative overview of the status and trends in environmental crime in Germany between 2004 and 2016, based on police records and the German Federal Statistics Office's criminal justice data. The report includes both an overview of general trends and an in-depth account of individual environmental offences. It also contains data on misdemeanors related to trafficking of protected species. The report was prepared by Ecologic Institute and is available for download.

Developing a Quantitative Model for a "Sustainable Germany" – Publications

A consortium of environmental consultancies including Consideo, adelphi, Ecologic Institute, FEST and sociodimensions developed a quantitative simulation model to run scenarios of different transitions to a sustainable society. The model explores the effects of such societal change on the environment, climate change, resource use, the economy, human welfare, and happiness. Two publications are available for download.

EU 2050 Strategic Vision "A Clean Planet for All" – Fact Sheet

In late November 2018, the European Commission published a "strategic vision" for a European economy with net-zero emissions by 2050. In this fact sheet Ecologic Institute's Matthias Duwe and Mona Freundt provide an overview of those documents. They explain, summarise, and evaluate the scenarios, proposals, and conclusions of the EC's extensive analysis. The fact sheet is available for download.

Framing of the Term "Climate Change" – Publication

In a guest column for the Süddeutsche Zeitung on 14 December 2018, Ecologic Institute's Head of International and European Governance Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf argues that widespread use of the term "Klimawandel" in German ("climate change") represents a victory for opponents of mitigation. With the phrase in German connoting a slow, natural process, it is no wonder that neither citizens nor policymakers feel urgency to reduce emissions sufficiently. The article is available online.

A Climate Law for Europe – Updated Version

The climate laws adopted by various countries, regions and cities share many essential features. These include binding reduction targets, review systems, and independent institutions to support decision making – all important elements of effective climate law that enable implementation of the Paris Agreement. The EU's current climate action rules lack many of these features and thus fall short of what countries and regions have adopted. The proposed EU Regulation on Governance of the Energy Union addresses some of these deficits and constitutes a good basis for a European climate law, according to an updated version of an Ecologic Institute publication that includes recent legislative developments in this area. It is available for download.

Solving our Climate Crisis – Panel Discussion

Senator Bernie Sanders invited some of the most prominent figures in the fight against climate change to a "town hall meeting" at the US Congress. Ecologic Institute's director Dr. Camilla Bausch participated in the event's panel discussion of global trends in energy, climate policy, and business. An event recording is available online.

From Knowledge to Action: Global climate protection and local action – Presentation

How is the Paris Agreement relevant for people active in the building sector? What can and should architects, energy consultants, or installers contribute to achieving the goals of this international climate agreement? Dr. Camilla Bausch of Ecologic Institute tried to bridge the gap between the international and the local level in her keynote address to 500 experts at the 20th annual conference "Herbstforum Altbau" in Stuttgart (Germany). The presentation slides and an event recording are available online.

Ecologic Institute's Side Events at COP24 – Review

At COP24 in Katowice (Poland), negotiators agreed on a rulebook for implementation of the Paris Agreement. During the talks various stakeholders presented and discussed diverse climate solutions at the side events. Ecologic Institute was represented at several side events and hosted two of them.

At the 2018 UN Biodiversity Conference (CBD COP 14), Hugh McDonald and Sandra Naumann presented and discussed Ecologic Institute's work on nature-based solutions and managing aquatic biodiversity. The CBD COP 14 took place from 13 to 29 November 2018 in Sharm el-Sheikh (Egypt). Approximately 3800 representatives from government, NGOs, indigenous groups, academia, business and civil society came together to discuss the topic "Investing in biodiversity for people and planet".

Act Now – Antibiotics and Antibiotic Resistance in the Environment – Workshop

Ecologic Institute organised and moderated an international workshop in Brussels on 7 November 2018, convened by the German Federal Environment Agency (UBA). The event served to clarify issues around antimicrobial resistance, and also to discuss from different political vantage points the adoption of relevant action options developed by the German Environment Agency (UBA) – those include the EU Strategic Approach to Pharmaceuticals in the Environment. The presentation slides and a short video clip on the topic from German public television are available online.

Social Sciences and Humanities in Marine and Coastal Research – Workshop

From 3 to 4 December 2018, the German Marine Research Consortium's social sciences and humanities strategy group met at Ecologic Institute to build on its future contributions to the marine research and policy. Dr. Grit Martinez, Senior Fellow at Ecologic Institute, opened the meeting with a call for closer interdisciplinary collaboration among representatives of the social sciences and humanities on the one hand, and with natural scientists and engineers on the other. The keynote speech of R. Andreas Kraemer, Founder of Ecologic Institute and a Member of the Board of Directors of the Oceano Azul Foundation in Lisbon (Portugal), focused on the maritime identity of Portugal.